CVE-2005-2506 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Algorithmic complexity vulnerability in CoreFoundation in Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.2 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via crafted Gregorian dates.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-2506 represents a critical algorithmic complexity flaw within the CoreFoundation framework of Mac OS X versions 10.3.9 and 10.4.2. This issue manifests as a denial of service condition where maliciously crafted Gregorian date inputs can trigger excessive cpu consumption, effectively rendering the affected system unresponsive. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and inefficient date processing algorithms within the CoreFoundation library that handles calendar and date-related operations.
CoreFoundation serves as a fundamental framework in macOS providing essential services including date and time management, data types, and basic system functions. The flaw specifically targets the Gregorian date parsing functionality where the system fails to properly handle malformed or specially crafted date values. When processing these malicious inputs, the algorithm enters into computationally expensive operations that consume disproportionate cpu resources, leading to system performance degradation or complete system hang. This vulnerability operates at the system level rather than application level, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect multiple system processes and services that rely on CoreFoundation for date operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can be exploited to create persistent denial of service conditions that may require system reboot to resolve. Attackers can craft specific date formats that cause the system to enter infinite loops or exponential time complexity processing patterns, consuming available cpu cycles and potentially affecting other system services. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects core system libraries that numerous applications depend upon, creating a cascading effect where multiple services may become unresponsive simultaneously. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-770, which addresses allocation of resources without limits or throttling, and represents a classic example of algorithmic complexity attacks that can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-2506 primarily involve applying the official security patches provided by apple for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.2 systems. System administrators should prioritize updating affected systems to newer versions of macOS that contain corrected CoreFoundation implementations. Additionally, implementing input validation controls at application level can provide defensive measures, though these are less effective than system-level patches. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect unusual cpu usage patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing rate limiting for date processing operations and establishing baseline system performance metrics to quickly identify potential exploitation events. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper algorithmic complexity testing and input validation in system libraries, highlighting the need for thorough security reviews of core framework components that handle user-supplied data.